“Very very last chance” for Sutton shoplifter after ten jail terms

Court Reporter

A prolific shoplifter who has been sent to prison ten times in the last two years told police he stole from stores in Sutton because he had gambled all his money away, a court heard.

Michael Gilbert stole £10 of boxer shorts from Asda, on July 17, and £53 of razor blades and £105 of deoderant, from Wilkinsons, on July 20 and 21.

“He told police he had lost all his money by gambling and said he wanted to try and get some money back by selling the goods,” said prosecutor Joanne Reynolds.

“I’m not sure what an eleventh prison sentence will do after ten back-to-back prison sentences,” said Chris Perry, mitigating, and asked magistrates to defer sentencing so Gilbert could break his cycle of offending and imprisonment.

Gilbert, 26, of Victoria Street, Sutton, admitted three counts of theft when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Monday.

The court heard that he was imprisoned for shoplifting in May, and had more convictions for the same offences, in 2015 and 2016.

Chris Perry, mitigating, said: “This is a young man who seems to be not making any changes to his life. There is some progress.

“Not resuming heroin is likely to keep him out of trouble. He has lived on the proceeds of crime. He has now got a full time job working a 40 hour week.

“We will know in the coming few months whether he had finally given up crime. One more missed appointment with the probation service and he will go back to prison.”

Magistrates warned Gilbert this was his “very, very last chance” when they deferred sentencing until January 8.

If he commits any offences, fails to maintain his employment or provides a positive drug tests, and fails to attend probation meetings, between then and now he will be brought back to court for sentencing.